


Mortality

by Meraad



Series: The Many Adventures of Aella and Thom [9]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-08
Updated: 2017-02-08
Packaged: 2018-09-22 19:02:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9621404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meraad/pseuds/Meraad
Summary: Aella Adaar attempts to come to terms with mortality.“Bite your tongue!” Dorian hissed and Aella laughed. Thom leaned down, brushed a kiss over her smiling mouth. As he straightened he let out a quiet grunt, furrowed his brow and coughed. Blood sprayed across her. Warm and wet. Then a red stain began to spread rapidly across his chest.





	

The tea at Aella's elbow had long since gone cold, the tray of food beside it was untouched. Reaching up, she absently rubbed at her temple. The only sound in the room was the pop and crack of the fire burning in the hearth and the ragged breathing of the love of her life. Unable to sit in the chair any longer, she pushed up to her feet, paused, reached out to take Thom's hand. “I'm not going far, love. I'll be here if you need me.” 

Of course, there was no response, she knew there wouldn't be, but it didn't make it any easier. “I love you,” she murmured, squeezed his hand and then reluctantly released it and walked out onto the balcony. She rolled her head, rubbed her shoulders, and did her best to stretch out her back. Aella stood with her back straight, staring out over the vast expanse of snow, her face a placid mask. Because she was strong. 

She had survived dragons, demons, the Fade, and Maker knew what else. But she was afraid this might be the very thing that broke her. Unable to help herself, Aella glanced back at Thom to check on him. She'd scarcely left his side since it had happened. 

She should have been paying attention. Instead of razzing Dorian. If she'd only been more alert it would never have happened. Or maybe the arrow would have gone through her chest and not Thom's. A sob hiccuped in her throat and she leaned over, arms resting on the stone wall of the balcony. Burying her face in her hands she let the tears flow. 

Thom was going to die and there was nothing she could do about it. Healers and surgeons had done all they could. Now it was time to wait. Wait for him to open his eyes, or wait for him to stop breathing. Her own breath caught, she whirled around and stared. So quiet. Too quiet. She couldn't hear him. She stared hard, waited, saw the faint rise and fall of his chest. 

Aella wasn't sure she'd ever been so afraid of anything in her life. Afraid of the loss. Afraid of what it would be like to go on without him. She could go on without him, she would, if the unthinkable happened. But she did not want to. 

 

_Aella sat on a rock, her broken staff across her lap. “This is all your fault, Dorian, every time!”_

_“It most certainly was not!” he sniffed and gave her a sideways glance. A small group of bandits had attacked them, which was nothing out of the ordinary. “How do you know it was me? I wasn't the only one throwing bolts of lightning around if I do recall correctly.”_

_“He does have a point, love,” Thom said coming to stand in front of her, inspecting the damage._

_“Don't you side with him. I know better than to zap a druffalo.” The result had been several moments of sheer chaos that resulted in Cole nearly getting gored, and Aella's staff meeting a tragic end beneath the hoof of a rampaging beast._

_“Maybe Dorian wanted you to make him some new armor, I hear druffalo and plaid weave is all the rage these days,” Thom quipped._

_“Bite your tongue!” Dorian hissed and Aella laughed. Thom leaned down, brushed a kiss over her smiling mouth. As he straightened he let out a quiet grunt, furrowed his brow and coughed. Blood sprayed across her. Warm and wet. Then a red stain began to spread rapidly across his chest._

_It took long heartbeats for her brain to process what had happened. By the time it had, Thom had fallen to his knees, and she stared blankly at the arrow protruding from his back. “Thom!” She lunged for him, was at a loss for what to do. “Oh, Maker. Please, no.”  
_

Aella wiped the tears from her cheeks and tried to steady her breathing. Dorian and Cole had apprehended the archer, and prevented Aella from ripping his throat out, but only just. The man had been handed over to Leliana, and if Thom didn't survive, nothing was going to stop Aella from tearing that man to pieces. 

'It's promising,' one of the healers had told Aella earlier that morning after checking on his wounds. 'He lived through the first night and has kept fighting through the infection. He's strong.' 

Her friends, her companions had all come to visit. Offered hope and condolences. Making her way back inside, she heaved a sigh and crawled onto the bed beside him, on top of the blankets while he lay beneath them. She'd barely slept in the days since it happened, and the short naps she had managed had been in the uncomfortable chair beside the bed. Slipping her hand into his, she laced their fingers together before pressing her lips against his shoulder. “I know that I told you I'd never forgive you if you died,” tears lodged in her throat, and she sniffed. “It's true, I won't. But,” her voice cracked and a sob escaped her. “But it's okay. Thom. It's okay if you let go. Maker, I love you so much. But if it's too much,” Aella pressed her face against his shoulder, clenched her eyes shut against the tears. “You can let go. I'm so proud of the man you are. I couldn't have asked for a better man at my side.” 

She gave up fighting back the tears and let them fall. Wept for the loss that she knew was coming. 

 

Bright light filtered through the room, blinding Aella the moment she opened her eyes. She groaned, for a heartbeat forgot everything. All she knew was that Thom lay beside her in _their _bed. Because it was their bed. But after a moment of blissful forgetfulness, Aella remembered, tightened her grip on Thom's limp hand and then pushed up onto her elbow to look at him. His chest rose and fell, his breathing seemed just a bit less ragged.__

__She rolled onto her back, but didn't release his hand, stared up at the ceiling. “You know, if you die, I'll have no choice but to take solace in seducing Cullen,” she paused, considered. “Or maybe Cassandra.” Glancing back at him, she looked at his profile. “You're going gray,” she murmured. “It makes you look even more handsome. But if I told you that you'd probably start preening like Dorian.” Aella huffed. “Can you even hear me?” Covering her face with her other hand she sobbed quietly. “Damn it, Thom. Damn you.”_ _

__A knock on the door had her sniffling and doing her best to compose herself. “Come in,” she called._ _

__Cassandra appeared at her side, scowling down at the untouched food and tea. “Cass,” Aella said, waving a hand in her direction. “I was just telling Thom that if he dies, I'll be forced to seduce you.”_ _

__“What? You'll do no such thing!” Hands on her hips now, Cassandra's scowl was aimed at Aella._ _

__“Well, Cullen it is then, I guess.”_ _

__“Ugh.” Cassandra rolled her eyes. “For the love of the Maker, Rainier, just wake up before Aella starts making her way through the whole Inquisition.” A beat later Cassandra's cheeks turned pink. “Oh,” she shook her head. “I didn't mean-”_ _

__Aella sat up, laughing as tears rolled down her face. “Oh, you should see your face!”_ _

__“Aella,” Cassandra's voice was a mix of concern and disapproval._ _

__“He's going to die, isn't he?” Tipping her face up she looked at the other woman, whose expression said everything about what she thought would happen. “What do I do?”_ _

__“You do what you do best, you keep fighting.” Cassandra crouched down in front of her. “You take comfort in the knowledge that you have friends who have your back through even the worst of what is to come.”_ _

__“Thank you, Cassandra,” Aella said softly, looking down at her hands. “Has Leliana found anything out?”_ _

__Cassandra sighed. “He is a nobody. He'd seen you take down the druffalo. Wanted the meat and hide. He'd obviously missed your battle with the bandits, or else he might have had second thoughts.”_ _

__“If he'd just have asked-” Aella's voice broke. “All he had to do was ask. I would have given him that and more.” She pushed her hair back and sighed. “I can't be objective. I want his head on a pike. I want to rip his still-beating heart from his chest. I leave his fate in yours and Leliana's hands.”_ _

__Cassandra straightened, squeezed Aella's shoulder and then began to make her way to the stairs. “I'll have a tray of food sent up. You will eat it.”_ _

__“Yes mother,” Aella called back, heard Cassandra grunt in disgust before descending the stairs. With a ghost of a smile, Aella curled back up beside Thom, held his hand and closed her eyes. When the food was brought up she did her best to eat it, but in the end, she barely put a dent in it and went back to laying beside Thom._ _

__

__He'd stopped breathing. His lips were blue. His fingers rigid against hers. “No!” Aella screamed. “No!” Gripping his shoulders she shook him. She felt someone grab her, shake her. “Get off me!” She swung her hand out, trying to bat them away, heard the grunt of pain._ _

__Aella jerked, eyes flying open, sat up quickly gasping for breath. _It was just a dream. Just a dream_. She looked over at Thom, dreading the reality of her dream. His chest wasn't moving. “Oh, no,” she breathed out, felt the hot tears streaming down her cheeks a heartbeat later. “No.” She twisted and her breath caught in her throat. _ _

__Thom's face was scrunched up in pain. Slowly he cracked open one eye. “Remind me never to try and wake you up from a nightmare, love.”_ _

__“I hit you. Oh, Maker.” She straddled his waist, cupped his face and pressed her forehead to his, keeping pressure off his chest. “Oh, you're alive.” Aella began peppering kisses all over his face. “You're alive.”_ _

__“Well,” one hand came up to rest on the curve of her hip, while the other cupped her cheek. “I do recall you saying you'd never forgive me,” his voice rasped from disuse. His brow furrowed. “Strangest dreams,” he said drowsily, weakly kissing her cheeks, her lips, her forehead, anything that came close to his lips. “You decided to seduce Cullen.”_ _

__Aella laughed, buried her face in his chest and buried her hand in his hair. “I love you, Thom.”_ _

__“Hmm,” he hummed softly, nuzzling the side of her face. “I love you too, Aella. But if you ever have any ideas about seducing Cullen or Cass again, I'll take you over my knee.” She laughed again and let out a broken sob._ _

__“I don't promise anything if you ever scare me like that again.” She pushed up, rested her elbows on either side of his head and stared down at him. “I don't want to see what the future is like, without you. You're far from done in this world.”_ _

__Thom smiled up at her, eyes full of drowsy love. “Yes, my lady.”_ _

__“I should fetch a healer, have someone take a look at you.” But she was reluctant to move, disinclined to tear herself away from him. She slid a hand down, pressed it to his chest over his heart, just inches from there the arrow struck._ _

__Dropping one of his hands to rest on top of hers, he twined their fingers together. “It can wait a bit longer.”_ _


End file.
